2 Year Old Betula Pendula Advice

ImagineReality

Well i've grown this betula pendula (silver birch) from seed. It's two years old now, it's been in a growing box and this year i am going to sort the roots out and place it in the ground. This i hope will fatten it up and i've heard it helps them change to the silver colour a little quicker. I will also be starting to shape the trunk slightly and this is where i need some advice. The picture below shows what i want the trunk to eventually look like from the front. I know it should look good from all angles and i hope it will. I'm not very good with paint programs but it gives a rough idea of the shape.

I was hoping for a little advice on taper and what you tink of this shape. As i understand it i should let it grow a good amount and then cut it down to a branch and wire it into position as the new trunk. Will this work for the style i'm trying to obtain here?

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ImagineReality

No advice at all?

Joanie

The line of movement that you chose is lovely.

Try to wire the lower part of the trunk in the way that you illustrate, and don't worry about the top. When the tree has taken on the wired shape, then work on backbudding so that you can get some lower branches. Then make a cut about a third of the way up the trunk, using one of the lower branches as a new leader. Wire that, and work from there.

This is only my opinion, I haven't worked on a birch yet, but it may be useful to you.

I would have tried to encourage lower branches earlier, by pinching the new growth before it got too tall. The hope is to keep the lower branches from dropping. Does this make sense with this particular species?

Joanie

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ImagineReality

Joanie thanks for that.

I did think of trying to keep some lower branches but i also wanted to thicken the trunk, especially trying to develop a flare at the base. I thought allowing it to grow tall and sway in the breeze should help this. I did actually pinch the last years growth back and it still dropped it's lower branches and grew an enormous amount.

As far as i am aware birch back bud extremely quickly, i will try and encourage lower growth before i cut it down by doing an intial cut to reduce the height and take off some of the branches. I think this would be the best way of encouraging back budding but others can comment if i'm wrong.

Two years of thickening should get the trunk nice and thick, although i think at the current rate of growth just one year may be enough. I'm glad you like the proposed shape, i think it will work well with the birch, especially once it turns silver, which should happen probably when it's nearing completion.

Joanie

Low branches do usually thicken the trunk, but it's always a balancing act.

It's the weekend, and a busy season, so you may not get more replies until next week.

Joanie

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ImagineReality

Ahh yes i forgot it's the weekend, guess i'll wait until mid week for more comments. Your suggestions have been very helpful though Joanie so thanks.

AMKhalid

if I am judging the caliper of that trunk correctly, you are gonna need more than wire to attain that shape in the lower part of the trunk... it looks quite thick?